The Order of Malta

The Order of Malta is a religious order founded by a Papal Bull of Pope Pascal II in 1113 as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Order has always been led by the Knights of Justice, or professed Friars, and the Grand Master who holds the precedence of a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. Throughout its nine-hundred year history the guiding principles of the Order "Tuitio fidei et obsequeum pauperem" (to defend the faith and serve the poor) – have never changed.

Elected in 2008, His Most Eminent Highness, Fra’ Matthew Festing is the 79th Grand Master of the Order. He is in direct succession from the founder and first Grand Master of the Order, Blessed Fra’ Gerard (1099).

With a presence in fifty-five countries—through six Grand Priories, six Sub-Priories and forty-seven National Associations— the Sovereign Order of Malta is dedicated to the care of the sick and the poor.

The mission of the Order is carried out through the efforts of 13,000 Knights and Dames of Malta, 80,000 volunteers, and 15,000 doctors, nurses and health care professionals, in more than 200 hospitals, medical centers, emergency relief, and an ambulance corps that provide aid for at least seven million people in 120 countries worldwide, most significantly through Malteser International.